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With you every step of the way, New Leaf can:
Make the first step today:
Alternatively, contact one of our partners directly, see Partners & Funding for details.
New Leaf brings together partners as well as employers from across Warrington and Cheshire to change lives, create opportunities and make a positive contribution to local communities and the regional economy.
New Leaf is looking to get over 2,800 people from across Cheshire into or closer to employment.
The programme has been allocated £10.6 million of funding from the Building Better Opportunities programme, a key part of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) European Funding Programme. The New Leaf programme is funded by the European Social Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund, which look to provide investment in local projects that increase economic development by investing in projects which will support skills development, employment and job creation, social inclusion and local community regeneration.
Find out more about the fund here.
New Leaf is led by Torus Foundation, the charitable arm of the Torus Group, who partner with communities to build better futures.
Achieve North West provide support to unemployed offenders and ex-offenders by offering access to training and learning, as well as teaching them skills to improve employment prospects. Achieve North West work with people on the New Leaf programme to:
• Assess skills, training and educational needs
• Help with access to education and training
• Advise on interview techniques
• CV writing
• Assist with job searching and filling in application forms
• Give advice on how to disclose information about a conviction
• Offer mentor support
Contact: David Carter (Project Manager)
T: 07792 291 593
E: David.Carter@achievenwconnect.org.uk
Acorn Recovery Projects support people throughout their recovery journey in a compassionate way, focussing on long term solutions, even beyond treatment. Their innovative recovery services enable individuals and their families to break free from drug, alcohol and other addictions. Acorn help people find not just substance recovery, but emotional, social, lifelong recovery.
Acorn work on the New Leaf Programme with people affected by drug and alcohol use to provide one-to-one mentoring services, including:
• Help with overcoming barriers to employment
• Access to a participant personal budget
• Access to other specialist services within New Leaf
Contact: Louise Smith (New Leaf Project Manager)
T: 07864 955 413
E: LSmith@acornrecovery.org.uk
Cheshire West and Chester’s Skills and Employment team can provide support to enable people on the New Leaf programme to move into employment, through four Work Zones in Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Winsford. They provide:
• Employment mentoring
• Help with overcoming barriers to employment
• A wide range of adult skills development opportunities
• Training courses from confidence building through to Maths and English.
Contact: Steve Henshaw (New Leaf ESF Project Co-ordinator)
T: 0151 356 6771
E: steve.henshaw@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
Location: Cheshire West / Ellesmere Port
Cheshire West Voluntary Action can support people on the New Leaf programme into a range of volunteering opportunities. Cheshire West Voluntary Action can support people on the New Leaf programme into a range of volunteering opportunities.Volunteering can help:
• Develop professional skills
• Gain relevant experience for a CV
• Increase your confidence
• Gain a routine
• Play an active role in your community
• A chance to uncover and explore possible career paths
• Access to training, support and personal development
• Gain and utilise transferrable skills
• Develops real experiences that you can talk about in job applications and interviews
• Increase in your personal, social and employment networks and access to more opportunities.
Contact: Dee Gunning (Volunteering Development Worker)
T: 01244 401272
E: dee.gunning@chesterva.org.uk
Citizens Advice Cheshire East is an advice giving charity offering a range of social welfare services to the public. They offer financial inclusion advice and support, including benefits issues, debt, housing and budgeting advice.
Contact: Nick Suffolk (Administrator)
T: 01270 303005
E: nick.suffolk@citizensadvicece.org.uk
Location: Cheshire East
CVS Cheshire East can support people on the New Leaf programme into a range of volunteering opportunities. Volunteering can help develop professional skills and gain relevant experience for a CV.
Contact: David Johnson
T: 01270 763100
E: David.johnson@cvsce.org.uk
DIAL West Cheshire works with disabled people on the New Leaf programme, who live in West Cheshire, to enable and empower people to meeting their goals and aspirations. They can offer:
• Mentor support
• Financial advice
• Training packages in the areas of ICT and wellbeing
Contact: Meaghan McCauley (Volunteering & Learning Manager)
T: 01244 345 655
E: m.mccauley@dialwestcheshire.org.uk
The Disability Information Bureau works with disabled people on the New Leaf programme who live in East Cheshire. They can offer mentor support, financial advice and a range of training packages.
They provide an accessible, confidential and continuously updated range of services for disabled people and any other person interested in disability related matters.
Contact: Averil Goodier (New Leaf Mentor)
T: 01625 501 759
E: averil.goodier@dibservices.org.uk
Groundwork Cheshire Lancashire & Merseysidedeliver training across the whole of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Warrington.
The trainers work with the mentors across the whole area to provide the training their participants need, this can range from basic skills and confidence building through to gaining a qualification.
Training contact: Jon Hutchinson (Programme Director – Communities)
T: 01606 723 160
E: Jon.Hutchinson@groundwork.org.uk
We are a national charity and leading provider of adult health and social care services.
We have been helping adults with care and support needs, and their carers, to lead independent and fulfilling lives for more than 35 years.
Our high quality, person-centred services and accommodation support adults of all ages, with a diverse range of needs, including:
• Mental health conditions
• Learning disabilities
• Dementia
• Older people with age-related concerns
Our New Leaf Mental Health Service will help people to improve their mental health and teach them strategies to maintain their mental wellbeing.
Contact: Rachel Munn (Head of cCBT services)
T: 01925 581756
E: newleafccbt@makingspace.co.uk
At PSS, we’re here to help people get the most from their lives. As part of the New Leaf partnership, we’re on a mission to turn around the lives of over 300 women in Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Warrington who have come into contact with the police for low-level offences. We want to move them away from a path that could lead to them becoming serious offenders and give them opportunities to start on a new, more positive path; building their confidence and esteem and moving them into education, training and employment. We’re hoping this will also reduce the number of women who go on to reoffend.
Contact us for more information
Ellesmere Port: 07525702680
Crewe: 07808784446
Warrington: 07702938675 (or contact our team leader: 07918691078)
E: TurnaroundCheshire@pss.org.uk
Standguide Mentors are dedicated to move participants closer to the labour market by supporting with all aspects of modern day job search, confidence building, life choices and careers including further training and education routes. Our Mentors can also help participants overcome a wide range of barriers by liaising with our support partners in areas such as dealing with stress, depression and anxiety, tackling phobias, money advice and volunteering.
Contact: Nichola Bowman (New Leaf Lead Mentor)
T: 07503 644332
E: nichola.bowman@standguide.co.uk
Location: Cheshire East
Torus Foundation have two teams in the New Leaf partnership; the programme team and the delivery team.
The programme team act as the communications and reporting hub between all the partners and the funder.
The delivery team help get people closer to employment through mentoring and offering our participants training and educational opportunities.
Contact: New Leaf Programme & Delivery Team
Aleks, John and Craig: 01925 452131
Upturn is a recognised Social Enterprise, limited by guarantee committed to work in deprived areas to help improve lives, create job opportunities, support people into work and encourage enterprise.
Contact: Steven Crossley (Business Adviser)
T: 0161 652 9002
E: steven.crossley@upturn.org.uk
Warrington Disability Partnership (WDP) is an internationally acclaimed user led charity. With over 24 years’ experience of developing and delivering mobility and independent living services, our aim is to support disabled people and people living with long term health conditions.
Contact: Jane Pendlebury (Mentor)
T: 01925 240064 Ext. 211
E: j.pendlebury@disabilitypartnership.org.uk
The council’s Brighter Futures team is one of the many partners involved in the New Leaf project, supporting people from across Warrington.
The team offers a range of taster sessions plus accredited courses across a range of topics
Contact: Rachel Cartwright (Tutor)
T: 07788 353198 / 01925 442211
E: rcartwright@warrington.gov.uk
Warrington Voluntary Action is committed to promoting, developing and supporting social action and empowering communities.
We support the development of a sustainable community and voluntary sector that meets the diverse needs of local people and communities to make a positive difference.
Contact: Lisa Leonard (Co-ordinator)
T: 01925 246881
E: annie@warringtonva.org.uk
Weaver Vale Housing Trust provide over 6,000 affordable homes in Northwich, Winsford, Frodsham, Helsby and outlying rural areas. We have developed a variety of services to support people in their day to day life, helping them live independently in their own homes. Our fundamental aim is to help our customers improve the quality of their lives.
Contact: Emma Stuart (New Leaf Co-ordinator)
T: 01606 813481
E: emma.stuart@wvht.co.uk